Excitedly woke up this morning in a foul mood, which is quite unlike me (my ego there just needed to reinforce a good first impression… please don’t see me as “the grumpy one”). I feel a bit under the weather and have the Monday blues. I thought though that this was probably the best day to start the *clears throat* “21 Days to Happyness” (to save my fingers, it’ll now be called 21D2H). I was ready to relax. (R2R). I needed to switch off (N2SO).
Suddenly the mind kicked in and I was like a steam train trying to get to the end of the exercises. It was as if I was suddenly operating on 15 levels, trying to absorb everything, assimilate everything. I found my gratitude diary and had it poised for use later tonight. I really wanted to get it.
In the process of slowing down, I made a note of some of the 15 thousand relaxing, centred and focussed thoughts I had over the 20 mins.
Sally’s video:
What a lovely lounge she’s sitting in.
I’ve got those multicoloured drawers behind her.
She looks great with that hair cut.
They are using two cameras.
They’ll need to grade that second camera – it looks a bit blue.
I should buy a second camera.
Who do I know that could grade it for me if it comes out a different colour to the other camera?
I’m enjoying this video.
Message – something about gratitude. (No time to worry about that though as there’s Marta’s stretches to do).
Marta’s stretches:
I like Marta’s yoga bottoms, I wonder if they do them for men?
How can I see what she’s doing when I’m lying on the floor?
I should buy a yoga mat.
I’ll go to TK Maxx today and get a yoga mat.
I like the name “Magical Marta”.
I thought Marta’s hair was lighter – maybe it’s the lighting.
I could get a yoga mat online, it could be cheaper than TK Maxx.
Message – Something about breathing and stretching.
Meditation:
The washing machine is distracting me.
I think my housemate is in and I’m sitting crossed legged on the sofa.
What’s the main tip of today? Gratitude?
I’m doing well at this.
I think I will go to TK Maxx to get that yoga mat.
Now I’m sitting here in high alert waiting for something to happen and thinking I can’t switch off, I need to do something.
I think I need a because. I need to see what the because is in all this to justify this level of action. I never thought being so inactive could be so active.
Oh well, there’s always the gratitude diary later to focus on.
Maybe I’m just grumpy.
I’ll go and get that yoga mat.
Hello Paul. I am not sure if I’m meant to be rolling around laughing and I am sorry if it is inappropriate but that is hilarious. Yes we do use 2 cameras (one a go pro not too costly) and I agree it could do with a bit of a colour I shall feedback to TimD! Meanwhile, on a more serious note please try to refrain from seeing this as a list and a chore that you have got to do. Please try to not feel you have to be perfect, do it all, perform to your best! Instead how about just starting the day with a short audio mediation of Marta’s to calm the mind. If you can fit in the movement great, but approach it with an excitement and welcoming calm, as opposed to ‘another thing on my already full to do list’. I urge you to carry on the regular meditation as much as poss. If you do I feel very soon you will feel a shift and it will not seem like you have to ‘frantically’ do everything. Present moment awareness is coming soon in week one – pay great attention to this day and I think it will help. All here for support oh funny one (not grumpy one!!!!) xxx PS Marta will be on line later with some tips! xx Please hang in there, Breathe, breathe, breathe. As Marta would say. x
Hi Paul, Matt here. Absolutely loving your post. This is exactly how I felt when I first started the whole process of mindfulness. I found the whole effort of doing nothing during meditation just so much of an effort!! Do hang in there though and slowly you’ll find it quite effortless to calm the mind. May I suggest trying maybe a 5 minute audio guided meditation to begin with and like Sally says….”Don’t forget to breathe!!” Namaste my friend!
Hi Matt,
Thats a great idea – I think one thing i need to focus on is being a bit more grounded – is there a grounding meditation you would recommend? Thank you :)
This is completely hilarious. I love this post! Keep blogging Paul cos I want to read your next blog.
And I am SO glad I’m not the only one who finds it difficult to concentrate on the meditations. Very reassuring.
P.S. I also was struck my how nice Sally’s house is.
Thanks Sally – you are right, I think i’m seeing it as a “to do list”. That’s hit a nerve..right on my to do list, thank you, i’ll keep it in mind. Still going with the meditations – still noticing the thoughts but I’m also noticing noticing the thoughts – if that makes sense. Im trying to dismiss the “because” of it all and just experience it.
Oh and thanks for looking into that camera grade on the go pro, I knew it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed :) x
Hi Matt,
Thats a great idea – I think one thing i need to focus on is being a bit more grounded – is there a grounding meditation you would recommend? Thank you :)
Hi All! So I am grateful today that I am not only one that seems to see the world through a ToDoist list lens.
There are more victims!
Paul, your career may be evolving soon beyond what is listed in your bio. Writing is your third calling.. just after passionate juggling of course :) Thank you for making me/us laugh so much.
Re’ your thinking/awareness, the very process of noticing the flowing thoughts and then distancing your self from them a little, is a gateway to mindfulness. And this is just the beginning of this fascinating journey.
As for grounding meditation, like Matt suggests, the 5 minutes one would work. You and Matt, just inspired a realisation I am having now: the most grounding meditations I have recorded for HH are those shortest/emergency ones. Probably because I had a visualisation of people doing them on the train, standing :)
But yes, I am going to record a new one, with grounding purpose, and like everything else now, with mindfulness intertwined into it.
Keep blogging, keep breathing, keep smiling.
With love,
Marta